Have you ever thought, "Gee, I'd like to travel more, but I'm nervous about how my infant might handle the rigors and chaos of traveling on trains, planes, and bicycles?".
This blog is meant to be a source of information for active people who either have kids, are expecting, or are planning on having kids, and like the idea of shared family experiences.
This is basically a compilation of my family's experiences, condensed down to what we've learned from traveling with an infant.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Greetings! Allow us to introduce ourselves...

The introduction section only allowed 500 characters, so let me introduce our blog properly. Neva and I are currently on the road biking down the Sierra Cascades, so internet access is limited, and my energy can be waning after long biking days. But don't fret! I have plenty of stories and information that I have in my noggin, anxiously awaiting blog time.

For those of you that don't know me personally, my name is Megan, and I have a daughter Neva who is currently 21 months old (that's us!). I worked at an online bike store, the Bike Shop Hub, for three years. The experience I gained there was invaluable, not only for working for a growing internet business with a great work ethic and business model, but also for an in depth understanding of bike touring equipment, not to mention the long lasting relationships I've gained through the tight knit bike community of like minded people.

The experience that I have with bike gear is very unique in that I've had the opportunity to test lots of panniers, racks, cargo trailers, and child trailers. Bike gear is definitely not cheap, and as a biking parent, I understand that there is the balance between cost and quality. I hope that I can be a useful resource for other bikers and travelers who have stepped into the world of parenting, and are looking to pursue the new and exciting adventure of traveling with a little one.

Currently, I am on my 6th bike tour, and this is Neva's 3rd. Our other half, Christian, will be able to join in on some traveling infant fun in December for our much anticipated, but still in it's infancy, plans of western Europe for the winter.

I'd like to thank some of my touring with an infant buddies that have accompanied Neva and I in the past, along with our friends and family who have believed in us through all of our travels. Thank you Cass Gilbert (check out his awesome journeys at whileoutriding.com), Ben Williams, Todd Wagner, James Worden, Robert May, Cori Cusker, the Ragsdales,my mom and step dad for giving me my first camping experiences, and my dad for introducing me to international travel, Christian for being a loving and supportive partner, and lastly, the community of people who have shown us hospitality, a warm home, a gentle smile, and a loving heart.

Okay, here is the introduction I wrote from the train last Tuesday, when we were leaving the brisk air of Flagstaff, Arizona, headed west toward the lightly foggy bay area of San Francisco:

Have you ever thought, "Gee, I'd like to travel more, but I'm nervous about how my infant might handle the rigors and chaos of crowds and terminals, not to mention the pains of the continuously changing nuances of luggage rules, restrictions and loop holes when traveling on trains, planes, and bicycles?".

This blog is meant to be a source of information for active people who either have kids, are expecting, or are planning on having kids, and like the idea of shared family experiences. Children are very receptive and adaptable to different experiences, and including them in our hobbies and interests can pass on positive learned behaviors while portraying a healthy family unit that works together.

So, who is this lady, and why do I care? Well, my name is Megan, and I have a 21 month old Neva. Currently, we are on a bus headed to San Francisco for my 6th biking tour, and our 3rd biking tour together. Neva has been to 4 countries so far, 22 plane rides, and most recently, has traveled by Greyhound bus and the Amtrak train. All of these trips took some planning, to say the least, research, and coordination in order to give me the experience and the confidence to continue with my traveling lifestyle, post partem.

I've already gone through a lot of leg work on the intricacies of traveling with a child from dealing with the TSA, to cost comparison analysis when traveling with large gear and multiple items, to using proper terminal terminology, along with how to manage the stresses that come up when you are traveling with just you and your child.

My hope is that my knowledge and experiences might give other people the confidence to continue with their current physical lifestyle and not feel like they are giving up anything. I continually hear people express a mentality that infers they are unable to maintain any of their passions because they now have a child. People's lives do change with a child, but they don't have to stop. My daughter enriches my life, and I feel lucky to be able to learn from her when we are able to experience new territory together.

This blog, Neva - Travel with an Infant, is meant to inspire people, and is ultimately a compilation of my family's experiences, condensed down to what we've learned from traveling with an infant.